Aria went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The warm water ran down her skin, washing away the exhaustion of the day. For a few minutes, she let herself relax, listening to the faint rhythm of raindrops hitting the window outside.
When she stepped out, wrapping herself in a towel, she noticed something new — on the small wooden table near the bed, a pair of soft cotton pyjamas was neatly folded. Beside it sat a silver tray covered with a lid. Steam escaped from under it, filling the air with the mouthwatering aroma of biryani.
Aria walked closer, her eyes softening slightly. She lifted the lid — the rice glistened with saffron and ghee, the scent of spices comforting yet heavy. She quickly changed into the pyjamas and walked toward the window. The rain had grown stronger, lashing against the glass, drowning the world outside in silver sheets.
She sat on the edge of the bed, picked up a spoon from the side tray, and took a small bite. Just one. The flavor was rich and perfect, but her heart wasn't in it. Slowly, she placed the spoon down and pushed the tray away.
"Can you please take this?" she said quietly when the servant came in to check.
The servant's eyes widened slightly as she looked at the nearly untouched food. In this house, wasting food was almost unheard of. Still, Aria's cold glance left no room for argument.
Without a word, the servant bowed her head, picked up the tray carefully, and left the room — her steps quick and silent, the aroma of biryani fading with her.
Just as Aria reached for her phone from the table, something beside it caught her eye — a small, elegant box she hadn't noticed before. She frowned slightly. Was it there earlier?
Curious, she pulled it closer and lifted the lid. Her breath hitched.
Inside lay the same necklace — the one which hold a lot pain of aria , the one she try to sell which was later in hands of her brother now here..The delicate chain, the glimmering stones, the faint scent of jasmine from the velvet inside — all unmistakably hers.
Aria's fingers brushed over it lightly, a strange mix of shock and recognition settling in her chest. Arjun. It had to be him.
She picked up the box and walked toward the mirror, the dim yellow light flickering softly across the room. Setting the box on the dressing table, she gazed at the necklace for a moment, the gems glinting like tiny stars in the reflection.
Slowly, she unbuttoned the top few buttons of her pyjama shirt and lifted the necklace, her hands trembling slightly. She fastened it around her neck, her eyes locked on her reflection.
For a long moment, she said nothing — just stared. Her reflection stared back, regal yet distant.
Then, a faint, bitter smile curved her lips.
"Princess Aria Varma," she whispered, her voice dripping with quiet mockery.
The title echoed faintly in the room, blending with the sound of rain against the glass — a cruel reminder of a past she never wished to wear again.
That moment, a small — almost fleeting — picture flashed in her mind.
A grand, luxurious hall bathed in golden light. Dozens of men and women dressed in silks and jewels, their laughter echoing across the marble floors. Crystal glasses of wine lifted high in the air.
"For Princess Aria Varma!" they cheered.
"For Princess Aria Varma!"
Their voices overlapped, rising like a storm of hollow praise.
Next day____
Aria will leave her uncle's house. It was early morning. The driver asked if he should drop her. But Aria kindly refused his offer and walked. Mumbai city was just awakening. Shopkeepers were slowly opening their shops. Flower sellers were busy selling flowers. The roads were filled with the smell of jasmine and spices. Aria drank a small glass of tea from a shop and waited in front of a jewelry shop. When the shopkeeper came and opened the shop, Aria quickly paid for the tea and rushed to the jewelry shop. The shopkeeper was shocked to see someone so early to buy jewelry. Still, he greeted Aria and offered her a seat. Aria took out a gold chain from her neck, gave it a last glance, took a photo of the chain, and handed it to the shopkeeper. He examined the chain and gave Aria an amount of money. At that time, Aria noticed she had forgotten her bag. The shopkeeper gave Aria a bag. She covered the money in her jacket and in the bag the shopkeeper gave her. From a nearby shop, Aria bought another new bag that was secure to put the money in, and with that, Aria took a taxi and went somewhere.
At uncle's house___
The batch five students were present. under Ashwin and Farhan's leadership, they slowly began working. Some were painting, others were crafting, while some were still designing, and a few were simply snacking and not actively working.
Just then, the door opened, and everyone's eyes turned towards it. It was Zorvath, standing cool and serious. He walked towards Ashwin and stopped beside him. Ashwin briefed Zorvath on everything that had happened from the previous day to the present moment. Zorvath's gaze wandered around the room, searching for Aria Ashwin added, "Aria isn't here. She stayed here last night, but the servant said she left the house early in the morning."
Zorvath nodded and sat down on a nearby chair, watching his watch impatiently. Ashwin stayed by Zorvath's side, looking tense.
The door opened, and everyone's eyes turned towards it, expecting Aria. But to their surprise, it was Rithul standing there. Zorvath's expression changed from anticipation to confusion. In his deep voice, he asked, "What are you doing here?"
Rithul asked,
" Didn't Aria come yet? "
Ashwin replied
"No we're all waiting for her.
Wait did you meet her?"
FLASHBACK ___
A yellow taxi stopped in front of Rithul's house. Aria got out of the taxi, paid the driver, and turned around to see Rithul's house. It was quite a big house, situated in a villa where rich people stayed. The house was even bigger than Aria's house, where she lived with her nanny. She smiled, opened the gate, and walked up to the main door. She pressed the calling bell. After a few moments, Rithul opened the door. His eyes widened in shock, almost popping out. He quickly turned to look at the clock. Before he could say or ask anything, Aria pushed him gently and walked inside the house.
"Wait, what?" Rithul said, quickly closing the door behind him. When he turned around, he saw Aria already wandering near the shelf, where beautiful architectural models and miniature designs were neatly arranged. The shelves, the tables, the chairs—everything in the room looked elegantly crafted, showing a touch of artistry and perfection.
"Did you make this?" Aria asked, her eyes still fixed on the models.
Rithul blinked in confusion. "How did you even get here?"
Aria turned to him calmly and repeated, "Did you make this?"
A bit tense and unsure, Rithul nodded. "Yeah… some of them. Some were made by my dad."
Aria continued to walk around slowly, observing everything. "Are you surprised to see me here?" she asked with a faint smile.
"Kinda," Rithul admitted, scratching the back of his head.
"I just came here to see you," Aria said. "We've only talked once or twice before, haven't we?"
Rithul thought for a second. "I think so." Aria said "I haven't seen you in the café planning or the games these days. What happened? Too busy? Or are you mad at me because I was the reason room 0 got closed?"
Rithul chuckled lightly. "Of course not. Actually, I'm thankful. Because of you, Room Zero was closed. It wasn't always like this—Room Zero used to be something else, something better."
He pointed over to the couch and said, "Have a seat. I'll just brush my teeth and come back."
Aria smiled. "It's fine. Let me just look around a bit."
"Sure, go ahead," Rithul replied. "Just give me five minutes."
He disappeared into his room while Aria continued exploring. Her fingers brushed gently over every curve and carving, feeling the texture of the wood and the designs. A soft smile grew on her lips—calm, almost nostalgic—as she admired every detail.
After about five minutes, Rithul came out of his room, freshly dressed and looking more awake. The servant had already brought two steaming cups of chai—one placed before Aria and the other on the table near Rithul's seat.
Rithul sat down across from Aria, picking up his cup as he glanced at her. "So," he began casually, "what were you talking about earlier? Ah, right—Room Zero." He smirked slightly. "Speaking of that, aren't you now in a bet with Zorvath or something?"
Aria looked down for a second, then placed her chai glass gently back on the tray. "Yeah… actually, I'm in the running for that," she admitted with a sigh. Rithul said "Zorvath is smart. He's been trying to change how Room Zero works."
Rithul leaned back and said teasingly, "And you've become part of that plan. Honestly, I didn't expect that."
Aria was shocked, He chuckled. "Maybe you two make a good pair."
Aria shot him a glare. "Are you serious? He's mad—and now he's even using me. You think I don't notice?"
Rithul raised a brow. "Don't tell me you didn't know he was using you."
"I can't say that," Aria muttered, her voice low. "But I just had the mind to win the bet To prove something."
Rithul laughed softly. "Don't tell me you don't love him, Aria. If you didn't have any feelings for him, would you go this far? And please don't give me the 'I'm doing this for KHSS' line. I know you better than that."
Aria gave a half-smile and said, "Okay, okay, maybe there's something… but it's not what you think. When he proposed that bet, I just wanted to prove I'm not some fool. I don't even know why I'm doing this anymore." She sighed. "Let's just stop talking about this."
Rithul smiled knowingly. "You're not going to admit you love him, are you?"
Aria smirked faintly. "If I say no, you won't listen anyway. You'll just twist my words. Honestly, Rithul, you've got a good future as a lawyer."
He laughed, leaning back and raising his cup. "Oh, thank you, thank you. I'll take that as a compliment."
Then he set his cup down, adjusted his glasses, and leaned slightly forward. "Alright then," he said, his tone turning more serious. "Let's get to the point—why are you here, Aria?"